The present disclosure relates generally to well drilling operations and, more particularly, to systems and methods for look ahead resistivity with offset well information.
Modern well drilling operations require precise steering controls and operations to land boreholes in hydrocarbon formations, while avoiding dangerous or otherwise undesirable formation strata. Such steering operations may require that a borehole start on a generally vertical trajectory and transition to a horizontal trajectory as it nears a particular formation strata boundary, so as to land in the desired formation strata. Tools that generate electromagnetic waves can be used to investigate the surrounding formation for strata boundaries, but at long distances, due to the presence of multiple layers in typical formations and low tool sensitivity far from the borehole, the tools have limited effectiveness at identifying formation boundaries. Given the limited dog leg capability for most drilling operations, on the order of 10° per 100 feet, the lack of accurate deep formation measurements makes it difficult to identify the formation boundary early enough for the borehole to land effectively in the desired formation strata.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and described and are defined by reference to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.